darkSpyro

Ray struggled to get out of the bindings that held him to the wall but it was too strong, the only way he'd be able to get out would be if he could change his entire body. That's it! Ray focused as hard he could, he tried to clear his mind and change completely but nothing was happening.

-----

"Fight back. FIGHT BACK!" The beast bellowed, but it wasn't the beast now that spoke, the gruff voice now changed to that of Araya's. "Fight me, you worthless *****!" It screamed at her. "Hit me, I know you want to hit me. Think of all the pain we've endured..." She grabbed Cell and picked her up by her neck. "Think of everything we've fought for that was destroyed, Think of how pathetic you were, all the people you can't save and then...Hit me....But you can't, because you're afraid." The shadow of Araya threw Cell down to the ground and continued to beat her to a bloodied pulp.

------

On the other side of the boulder Zodiac struggled to get out of the vines but couldn't. Then he heard the screams of pain and agony coming from the other side and he screamed at the top of his lungs. His entire body began to vibrate and become liquid-y. His whole body changed into that of a snake and he slithered free, as he made his way towards the boulders he changed his entire body to that of a Rhinoceros as he smashed into the boulders. "Cell!"

The Devil being watched but did nothing, he was intrigued. He called his vines back and watched. The boulders began to crack and Zodiac could see Cell through the hole he'd made. She was being attacked...By herself. And not in the way she thought, she was actually being attacked by herself, she was punching herself and throwing herself against walls, bashing her head in with rocks. "CELL! Cell there's no one there it's just you! He's using your mind against you, he's making you think you see something, it's just you, stop! Clear your mind and look at what's really in front of you, there's nothing, listen to my voice, It's just you!" Zodiac continued to smash at the boulders trying to knock them all down.

Something about what Zodiac said made her want to fight on. She'd endured worse, she could handle this one.
Araya slowly slid up against the wall, and it was clear that she still had at least a little fight left in her. At the next punch, Araya instinctively raised her arms in front of her beaten body to block the hit, then grabbed her double's arm. When she touched it, a shock went through her body. She let out a small cry but worked through the pain. She grabbed the clone's body and flipped it, but it reversed her move and flipped her around instead, casing her to hit the rubble with a loud crunch of rock. It was clear her usual bone breaking tactics wouldn't work here, this shadow of herself had the same abilities as her.

The double rushed over with a punch, one that Araya grabbed just in time.
If I can't break it's bones, I might as well use my own weaknesses to my advantage... She thought. In one swift motion, Araya grabbed the middle of the clone's wrist and bent it back, as it released a primal, almost demonic, scream.

What was it Ray said about scorpions? One strike could cause terrible pain, right? I guess it's time to prove that.
Araya had her opponent on the ground, already writhing in agony.

"You... don't control me..." Araya said, exhausted. With one final knee to the face, her shadow dropped to the ground, completely knocked out. Araya took a second to recover before picking up her rods, still pulsating with electricity.

Zodiac finally smashed through the boulders and as they all came crumbling down he changed back to his human form and rushed over to Cell.

A slow clap coming from behind as the Devil looking creature stepped towards them but he was no longer a Devil looking creature, he had changed. He now had the appearance of a man, Caucasian, Black hair that curved like a horizontal crescent moon. He had thick stubble from the side of his face to his chin. His eyes were green and grey. He wore an expensive looking grey suit with a black vest over top, the inside of the vest satin and red. His tie green and his pants were black, grey and red stripes striking down as the pattern. Under his arm a walking stick with the very same blue orb on top. He was suave as suave could be. He wore golden cuff-links and pointed black shoes.

"I applaud your skills, though of course if I'd wanted you dead you'd be dead. I suppose you were just too easy and fun to play with, I couldn't help myself." He chuckled to himself a bit before continuing. "You know I am aware of the both of you, really, the girl is strong but you....Animal. You are weak, you have yet to awaken your true potential. You act so....Smart, and silly, and yet you are more scared than she is...But why? What is inside that tiny little head of yours that makes you so angry and frightened? What do you fight for?" He stood with one hand behind his back and chuckled once more. "I do apologize, my manners seemed to have slipped, though how can you blame me? I did get some rather...Unfortunate news from someone earlier..." He gestured towards a heap of blood stained bones and let out a small burp. "Excuse me...Sometimes the bones digest rather funnily." He took a bow. "Some call me Nightmare. Some call me Death. Others call me simply...Him. I am Emorlus. Blessed...Though you could also argue, cursed, with these great powers. You know the Wicca..." He began to pace around the two heroes. "The Wicca believe that when they die they go to a place known as 'The Summerland' In this place souls rest and they gain stamina and strength until they become one with life again and are born once more as a separate being, completely unaware of their previous life....Many have their own concepts of death and the afterlife. But I've seen the end of the tunnel. I have held hands with the spirits of the non-corporeal, I have breathed in the essence of the perished and talked to the damned. There is no rest, there is no return, there is no hope. Only death and pain. I plan on sending you to this...Summerland. I plan on taking your souls and devouring them, leaving you lifeless as you drift away into that which is the afterlife, a place of no return, call it Summerland, call it Hell, Call it Heaven....It's all the same and I will send you there. But not today....I have bigger things that concern me."

"YOU KILLED THAT MAN, YOU HAD HIM KILLED! WHAT DO YOU WANT? WHAT IS IT?" Zodiac demanded but was thrown against a wall at the wave of Hades' hand. "Go to your 'Summerland' now. Recuperate, and then, if I deem you worthy after you train harder, we will meet again, and I will give you the sweet release of death...." He lowered his hand and Zodiac fell to the floor, clambering for air.

With that, dust began to rise from the ground and winds raced around the two at high velocity and when the winds fell, Cell and Zodiac were back in her apartment.

Araya wasn't prepared for the sudden transportation, and fell to the ground immediately. At least they were back at her apartment, hopefully they'd be safe there.

Araya was still so disoriented. Everything that happened tonight was just so confusing. Meeting that stranger in black for the first time, finding out Ray was Zodiac, fighting weird demon people... It was all just a lot to process.

"Ray..." She said, panting and groaning in pain. "Remind me never to try and tackle this paranormal **** anymore..."
She slowly attempted to get up, and failed multiple times, before settling on bracing herself against a wall.

"I... I need to shower..." She said weakly as she stumbled her way to the bathroom.

Ray slowly stood up, steadying himself against the wall. "We just fought what seemed to be the Devil himself and you....You..." He tried to catch his breath. "Are worried about a little blood in your hair?" He moved towards her, his knees weakened and his body aching from full shifting. "Unless you're thinking of me joining you in that shower I think we oughta do something, shouldn't we? Dig up some information? There's no way a being of his stature has gone unnoticed forever, someone must know something, right? He said his name Was Emorlus, does that mean anything to you?" Ray fell to the floor in agony. "On second thought we should rest....I can't move..."

"Exactly... We aren't getting anything done in this condition..." She said as she opened the door to the bathroom.

"I'll be fine once I regenerate a bit, but you're way more hurt than me." Araya had to think for a bit. She was sure she had some sort of medical kit in here apartment.

"Go to the empty wall over there if you can, put 6363 into the keypad, there should be a big medical kit by where I usually hang my suit. By the time you get to it, I'm sure I'll be rinsed off and healed enough to help you..."

She groaned as she entered the bathroom and locked the door. She looked in the mirror, and what she saw wasn't nearly as bad as she thought, but maybe she'd already regenerated a bit already. From what she could see, she had a few cuts on her face, and a split lip. The rest of her body hurt like hell though.

She took off her costume and jumped in the shower. As the warm water washed the blood away, it also washed away some of her pain.

What was all that tonight!? Araya thought. How did that weird guy know everything she felt inside? How did he know all of her fears? All of this troubled her deeply, she and Ray had to catch this guy, and fast.

She turned off the shower and put her pajamas from earlier in the night back on, and stepped out of the bathroom.

"I'm not hurt...I'm fine..." Ray mumbled to himself as he steadied his balance and made his way over to the kitchen. "I don't need a med kit, I need to get out there....And find that son of a *****." Ray groaned as he leaned against the Kitchen island, he felt a large shooting pain in his side as he did so. Must be from the thorns poking me... He thought to himself as he threw his hood down and unzipped his Hoodie.

Ray looked back towards the couch but fell before getting there, he crawled the rest of the way and placed himself on the couch. He'd thrown his hoodie down on the ground. There was a stain of blood on his shirt, it was still fresh and it it gave Ray agonizing pain.

Ray lifted his shirt and threw it away, revealing what seemed to be a sharp tan-colored jagged stone stuck in the side of his body. Ray tried to take it out but the pain was too much. He screamed profanities and eventually his screams became unintelligible. He tried to get up but it hurt too much.

Araya heard the screams of her friend and rushed to get the first aid kit. She probably rushed too much, seeing as one of the cuts she sustained from the rocks split back open. She groaned and fell to the ground, but she knew she had to endure it. She had to help her friend, and she'd be fully healed in a few hours anyways.

She got back up and limped to her base, grabbed the kit, and limped back to Ray.
"I swear... I have no idea how you do this without a healing factor..." She said, opening the red bag and taking out a can of spray disinfectant. She shook it for a few seconds, and sprayed it on the area the rock was lodged in.

"Alright, this is gonna hurt. A lot." Araya said.
Then, she grabbed onto the rock and pulled.

"I don't need a healing factor." He said. "It doesn't even hurt, I feel great, like a frickin' bunny in a cabbage patch." Ray groaned, he wanted to move about from the pain but he knew he couldn't.

"Are you sure you didn't lodge this rock in me as an excuse to see me with my shirt off?" He tried to smile but winced in pain when he made the attempt. "I'm sure I'll be fine, it won't hurt one biiiIIIAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHmmmm fine...I'm fine..I'm fiiiAAAAAHHHHHHHH **** ME SIDEWAYS, MOTHER****." He glued his eyes shut and clenched his fists together, punching the back of the couch as she pulled the rock. "GET IT OUT!"

Multiple body parts started to shift as she pulled on the rock lodged in his side, he started to flail about. His arms shifting to those of an owls wings, his legs shifting into that of a chickens, his face switching from dog to duck to skunk. The pain was making him lose control of his powers. 'Is it out yet??!?!?" He spoke through his teeth, eyes still closed.

With a gross sounding splurt, the rock was pulled out of his body.
"Okay, it's out." Araya said, opening up the kit once more. "I just have to sew it together. Please don't change any body parts this time, okay? It happens to stress me out."

She threaded the needle, and cut the thread with her teeth. Normally, she would have had the patience to get scissors, but she didn't want Ray to bleed out more than he had to.

"You know, people have told me I'm good at patching them up, and have recommended that I become a doctor." She said as she dipped the needle in alcohol to sterilize it. "I don't think I'd have the time. Plus, maybe I do just use it as an excuse to see my patients with their shirt off..."

Araya slowly stitched Ray's wound back up, making sure to do it with enough precision to keep it well sealed in case of a fight.

Ray groaned and slowly sat upright on the couch, his hands gripping the couch tightly. "Patients? So there are others...Is this how all your first dates go? If so then you sure do know how to treat a man, the demons were a tad much." He let out large sigh and his shirt with his tail. Slowly he held it up to the light. "That's gonna take a while to wash out. Guess I'll have to go shirtless and hoodieless unless you have any pretty sundresses I can wear." His side was in incredible pain so he tried to block out the feeling with jokes. Ray couldn't help but feel sorry for his hoodie, it had been through many tough times but now it was soaked with blood

"Y'know...I wouldn't mind it." He shrugged. "You, being my doctor, though I'd probably end up injuring my self a bunch on purpose just so I had a reason to come see you."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Ray." Araya said with a slight smile. She definitely had at least a minor crush on him, but she didn't want him to get hurt because of her actions. She'd lost too many people that way. That clone of hers was right, she couldn't save everyone, but she can damn well try.

"Besides, isn't there that whole doctor/patient confidentiality thing?" She asked, scooting over a bit closer.

"I was hoping it'd getting me something." He looked over to the kitchen, though even turning his head hurt, his whole body hurt from shifting, he'd never done that before. "I should make you food, you fought a lot, you need sustenance..." Ray tried to stand up but fell back onto the couch, grabbing his side.

He looked back over at Araya and gave her a small smile. "I suppose that there is, what's your point?" He said playfully.

"Hey hey hey..." Araya said, slowly pulling Ray back onto the couch, she still hurt a bit, but probably nowhere near as much as Ray. "I don't think you're quite ready to make food, let alone find that demon guy."

"The point is, doctors shouldn't get too attached to their patients." She said, returning his smile with a light grin.

Ray smirked at Araya's comment and then leaned in towards her. "Well then it's a good thing you aren't my Doctor, cuz I'd like being attached to you." He licked his lips jokingly and then turned his attention to her large window that looked out onto the city. "All those people..." His smirk faded. "I wasn't fast enough....I could have saved him, I could helped her, I WASN'T FAST ENOUGH!" He winced in pain, even screaming hurt. "I'm sorry..."

Ray placed his hand atop of Araya's. "Maybe you should get some sleep...I'll stay out here on the couch, guard the door, if anyone comes in I'll holler at you because I'll be damned if I'm gonna get up from this couch unless it's to get a snack."

Araya squeezed Ray's hand a bit, in an attempt to calm him down.
"Ray, it wasn't your fault. At least the woman was safe. And hey, we got beat within an inch of our lives tonight, healing factor or not. We should at least be proud that we found the guy, and live to fight another day. We can track him down and take him out."

Araya got up and hugged Ray. It hurt her just to hug someone, but she's be fine by the end of the night.
"I guess we should get some sleep, there's nothing we can do now." She said, walking towards the bedroom.
"Ray? Thank you." She said as she walked into the room and closed the door behind her.

-------
Araya didn't like sleeping in the bed, under any circumstances. She had read some article that soldiers with PTSD felt like they couldn't sleep in their beds, because even sleeping on the rocks in a war zone was more comfortable. Sleeping in something that comfortable just felt off.

As she lie awake, all she could think about was the night she just had. Could the person in black really have good intentions? Was she really as focused on the past and on her failures as her shadow said? It was all just so confusing. It made it hard to sleep at all. Lying around for a few hours helped her physical pain, but not her mental ones. Perhaps the next day would be better, if she ever got to sleep...

Ray tried to sleep but there was too much going on in his head. He was too busy thinking about the skeletons, the Devil man...Emorlus was what he called himself. But most of all he thought about his full shift, he wondered if he could do that now whenever he wanted or if it only happened out of anger and want to save Araya.

After lying away thinking for a few hours Ray's pain had started to fall away. He slowly got up, not wanting to open his stitches, and he quietly made his way to Araya's bedroom, the door was unlocked so he lightly opened the door and softly walked over to her bed and sitting on the opposite side of Araya. He just watched her.

//I feel bad for my short posts, I'm really sorry ;~;

Of course, Araya still wasn't asleep, she'd only acted the part to get the jump on whoever was there. Once she realized it wasn't an intruder, but Ray, she decided to speak.

"I'm half tempted to go get my staff out of my lair, JUST to whack you on the head with it." She said, eyes still closed. "I like my privacy."

OOC: NO SHHHH IT OK

Ray shrugged. "We both know I'd catch it with my tail, and besides, you don't like beds, I like beds, and you kinda talked yours up saying how comfy it was, I just couldn't help but want to check it out for myself." He stretched out his body and laid on top of the covers. "Problem or you want me to scram? I could always sleep in the hall again." He teased.

Araya sighed and flipped over, making sure not to face him. Was he always this persistent? He certainly didn't seem like it earlier, but he was acting pretty different now.

"Fine, you can stay in here, just give me some space on my half of the bed. And don't you dare try anything." She said, her voice begging to sound annoyed. She just wanted to get some quality rest, but her mind wouldn't let her.

Ray stayed quiet for a moment and then he spoke softly. "You can't sleep either, can you?" Ray didn't want to bother her, he could tell she was getting a bit annoyed so he thought he'd try to not be as obnoxious. "Do you wanna talk about anything? I know that something's on your mind, I don't need telepathy to be able to understand that." He thought about nudging her but decided against it because he didn't really want to get flipped or punched.

Araya thought about not saying anything, just to see how he'd react, but decided against it. After a few moments of silence, she spoke up.

"Did you see that shadow thing that beat me up tonight? Maybe it was just some mind control or something, but it felt like it was both there, and not at all." She said. She realized how weird she sounded and waited for a moment before speaking again.

"When I looked at it, I couldn't even focus. I knew it looked like me, but every time I tried to look at it, it showed me all my failures. I relived all my most painful memories in brutal detail, all at the same time. If only I could fix the past, you know?" Araya stopped for a moment to wipe a few tears that she hoped Ray didn't see.

"I want to face those fears, and I want to make the people who did those things suffer, but I know I'm not strong enough to do that yet."

Ray had nuzzled himself under the covers now and had closed his eyes, his face digging into the soft pillow as he speak. "The past is good....Even if you say you want to change it. If you changed the past you wouldn't be where you are now, who knows where you'd be, sure things may be different and you may think they'd be better but someone else bad might have happened. And that....What you were fighting..." He shifted his body a bit to get more comfortable. "Araya there was nothing there, you were fighting yourself...I saw. He must have used a mirror image or...Or something, somehow accessed your memories to create a projection from your mind that wasn't really there. But we'll put an end to whatever it is he's planning."

Araya was depply disturbed by this bit of information. The shadow wasn't even real? It felt so real, but maybe Ray was right, maybe he did just somehow access her mind.

"**** all this magical demon bull****..." She grumbled as she buried her hands in her face. How the hell was she supposed to fight this? This was nothing she was ever prepared for.

"Ray, you don't think he could still get into my mind, right?" She asked, her voice sounded way more nervous than she intended. She had to stay strong through all this and endure.

OOC: Yeesh, how do you two do it?

OOC: Mega fast internet, lots of contact, story coordination, and a ****ton of free time. I feel bad for posting so often tho

Ray took the chance of touching her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure he can't, he must be miles away by now and you heard him, we were only inconveniencing him, he wouldn't want to get caught up with us again anyways, we'd probably just kick his butt." He smiled and then retracted his hand, Ray let out a large audible yawn and groaned a bit. "Maybe you should try to sleep..."

OOC: Isk I just don't want to take it over. And I was waiting for you but ok

"I guess you're right." Araya said, rolling over to try to distance herself. She didn't really want to be around anyone, even Ray.

"Night, I guess." She said, closing her eyes, but every time she shut them, all she saw was her failures, broadcast on repeat, right to her psyche. Try as she might, she knew she wasn't getting any sleep tonight. She contemplated waiting until Ray was asleep and sneaking out for a patrol to clear her mind.

ooc: Look, Lunarz, Mugo has asked already that we slow down because he DOESN'T have the time on the internet to wade through so much stuff. Just because you can doesn't mean everyone can. Slow down for the sake of those who are in another time line. Ignoring them IS a D move. Mugo not being able to post in character is not. Also, it derails the topic. :/

"Tone it down? No way!" Demicila said, speeding up to skate alongside Aspen. "I look totally awesome! My outfit is as loud as I am!" She extended her hand towards Aspen for a handshake. "Nice to meet you, Aspen. I look forward to working together."

Araya waited until Ray was sound asleep before cleaning up her Cell costume, putting it on, and silently slipping out the window. Her apartment was on the tenth floor, but jumping from the small balconies on the complex and to the roof definitely wasn't a problem.

As she stood there on the roof, a breeze slightly blowing, she looked down at the city below. The lights, the people, everything, all still bustling, even at night. It was amazing to her how people could still be out and about this late, especially with how dangerous the city's been lately. But protecting these people, watching over them, it put her restless mind at ease. If anything was a constant, it was that she knew how to protect these people. Even if it ended in her death, she'd fight for these peoples lives. Even if they were more followers than leaders, they deserved a life free of the evils and corruption the villains of the city polluted it with. Mayor Crane, Emorlus, maybe even that person in black, they all wanted to see every life in this city under their command, but Araya knew she wouldn't stand for it.

The midnight air was cool and refreshing, and a scent of rain hung in the air. Maybe there would be a thunderstorm tomorrow? She sure hoped so. The rain made the city even more exhilarating, especially when it rained at night. Patrolling the city was exhilarating enough already, but it was multiplied tenfold in the rain.

Araya began to move from rooftop to rooftop like a skilled acrobat. Being on patrol always helped calm her mind, and it was helping even more so tonight. In an alleyway below, a drug deal was already going south. The dealer had pulled a gun on some man in a fancy suit, who surprisingly didn't look that worried. She extended her staff, and separated it into two batons before dropping to the ground below, and landing right behind the drug dealer.

"You know, I always did enjoy that Ninja Turtles quote. What was it? Oh yeah! 'Say no to drugs, say yest to pizza!'" She said with a smile. The drug dealer whirled around and pointed the gun at her. His hand was visibly shaking, and she could see the sweat running down his face.

"You better ****in' stay out of this! This ain't your place!" He said nervously.

"I don't really like being told it's not my place, but thanks for the offer." She said. In an instant she brought down a baton on his forearm with a loud crack and a painful scream, the dealer fired off a few shots at her, all of which missed due to his broken arm. Araya kneed his face up in the air, and brought her elbow down on his head, causing him to fall to the ground. He was groaning, but still conscious.

"You alright?" She asked the main in the suit. Suddenly, a black van pulled up into the alleyway.

"I'm not the one who needed saving." The man said as he pulled out a taser and shot it into Araya's unprotected arm. In seconds, she dropped to the ground, completely immobile. Before she blacked out, all she could remember was being loaded into the van with the dealer, the doors shutting, and a lurch as they drove away.

OOC: I'm gonna wait for more people to post before I make any more, I feel like I'm making too many and I want other people to have a chance to RP. Also, I'll take this post as a starter, anyone can come and help Araya break out. :D

As they walked forward Angela slowed and flicked her wrist behind her and shot a small bolt of electricity, and a few moments later her outfit floated from the nearby alley over and into her hands, still folded neatly as she quickly walked back behind the group, listening to their introductions in silent fascination.

"Well you're certainly confident, that's more than I can say about myself..." Angela chuckled at Demicilas words, her voice soft. "I'm uh... I'm Angela, also known as Shockwave, and I can control electricity." She went on, smiling hesitantly. "It's nice to see others with elemental powers aswell."

Ray had only closed his eyes for a moment before drifting off into the land of dreams, and it was an odd dream to say the least, one that didn't really feel like a dream. Ray stood before a palace of black, blood dripped from the walls and flooded into the moat that surrounded the castle, obviously it was a metaphor but a metaphor for what? He wasn't sure. As Ray got closer to the Palace it began to shake, the ground cracked open and he could see his father, holding onto the edge of the ripped ground.

"DAD!" Ray tried to rush to the aid of his father but every step he took the crack got farther away and then a flash of lightning. Everything went dark. And when the lights turned back on, Emorlus stood above his father, a large grin upon his pretentious face. Emorlus smashed his shoe onto the hand of Ray's father and he fell into the abyss, screaming for Ray. "You weren't there for me!!1 You could have saved me!!"

"DAAAADDD!!!" Tears poured out of Ray's eyes like a waterfall in flood season. And Just when he thought the worst of it was over he heard a woman's voice. "It's your fault that I left, Ray, I turned to the drink because of you."

"Mom...No. No I didn't mean to make you leave! Mom come back home, I'm sorry!"

"You're a bad boy, Ray. You are never going to amount to anything."

With another flash his mother was gone and in her place stood Araya. "I told you I loved you, you pushed me away, and now...Now look at me, heartbroken. And soon..." Araya took her staff and thrusted it into her stomach, blood poured out and she cackled wildly before falling back in a pool of blood.

"NOOOOOO!!!" Ray ran to her side but was thrown back by himself in his Zodiac uniform. "You don't even know how to be a proper hero, you suit up and you kick a few guys in the face and then you make a joke, you aren't a hero, you're a wannabe, how many people have you really saved? You use your powers for fun and games, you're lazy, and when you're lazy people die....And now, you will die."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" Zodiac raised his hand and shifted it into that of a claw before striking with great force at Ray.

Ray opened his eyes and shot up from the bed, panting, sweat pouring down his chest. He looked to his side to see Araya gone.

Ray dashed out into the living room and put his shirt and Hoodie on, he had put them in Araya's laundry machine so the blood had been washed out. Ray switched his ears to that of a bats and listened. "Araya?" What he got in response was her, her voice was faint but there, and then the sound of a taser and then a van.

Ray jumped out of the window, flipping his hood on as he did so. He ran as fast as he could, his eyes and tongue changing to mimic a snakes way of direction, he would pick up her heat wave in a moving van.

Ray had picked up the truck, he could hear the radio in his ears, he ran from rooftop to rooftop, following the van until he had the chance to jump down. And then he jumped down, onto the roof of the van. The van was slowing down now so it was easier than it would have been. He smashed the front window and grabbed the driver throwing him out of the vehicle with great force from the help of his Silver-back Gorilla hands. Ray used his tail and swung into the Van, punching the passenger in the face, the passenger grabbed Ray and slammed him against the side of the door, the van began to teeter back and forth, Ray could see that they were nearing a dead end. The passenger kneed Ray in the stomach and Ray spit out blood onto the man's face before taking his tail and choking the man until he'd passed out. Ray grabbed the wheel and hit the brakes as hard as he could. The van came screeching to a stop and Ray ran to the back of the van. "ARAYA!"

After a few big bumps, Araya woke up in the back of the van next to the dealer. She was stunned for a bit before finally coming back to her senses and hearing the voice of Zodiac. After a few moments she mustered up enough strength to kick the back of the van's doors open.

"Ray, as happy as I am to see you right now, I have to check something." She said, jumping out of the van's back end. "Also don't hurt this guy, he's innocent."

"Y-yeah!" The dealer said nervously. "I didn't do nothin', man!"

Araya made her way to the back door to check the license plate. It was a City Government plate.
Of course, it had to have been Crane's doing, but what would a criminal ringleader want with a small time drug dealer? She walked back over to the visibly shaken dealer and sat next to him.

"I promise we aren't going to hurt you. We just need a little information from you." Araya said, trying her best to sound comforting.

"Just as long as King Kong over here doesn't maul me. He's scary as ****, bruh..." The drug dealer said, eying Zodiac. Araya shot him a look, as to say 'promise him'.

Ray smirked and looked to the ground as he laughed. "Tell ya what." He shoved his hands into his pockets and trotted over to a couple of garbage cans, one which was fairly thin. He wrapped his tail around the can and squeezed, causing obvious damage to the can. "I'll keep off ya, but you better tell us what we need to know because sometimes 'King Kong's' tail can't control itself. Now spill the beans to the pretty lady, okay, pal? I might even buy you an ice cream if you're extra nice. Two scoops if you give us all you got with a smile on your face!"

Ray shot the man an over the top smile and then climbed up a street lamp, hanging down from his tail, arms folded as he watched the guy. Ray kept his bats ears shifted so he could hear if anyone decided to drop in for a play date, something Ray verily hoped against as he'd dealt with enough annoyance as it was that night.

"Okay! I'll tell you what I got!" He said, growing a little less scared. At least Ray didn't scare him totally ****less.

"Start with your name." Araya said. She was being surprisingly kind to a drug dealer, but it was probably because she accidentally beat him up.

"The name's Kevin Leroy. I do a lot of buisness downtown, and down there I got the good stuff." He confessed with a smirk. "I got the purist coke around bruh, not to mention all the wee-"

"Drugs are bad and you should feel bad." Araya interjected. What he sold dudnt seem relevant at the moment, she just wanted information.

"It ain't my fault! My family grew up poor, I didn't even go to high school! This was the only job I could get, yo!" Kevin slowly looked back down at the ground. "I've just been tryin' to get money to support my lil' sis. I made some dealings with people I thought would help, but man, I was ****in' wrong..."

"What kind of people? Do they have any connections to Crane?"

"That guy in the suit is his right hand man! He said he had snipers on the roof that we're gonna blow my brains out if I didn't do what he said! That's when you came in... miss?"

"I'm Cell, that guy over there is Zodiac." Araya Said, pointing at where Zodiac was perched. Kevin turned his head to Zodiac, trying to explain it to him too.

"That's when Cell came in, bruh! She kicked my ass, but I understand if it looked like I was muggin' him. After he tased her, he got in a separate van that went in a whole other direction. Before he left, he said something about a Gala tomorrow night or some ****. Maybe Crane will be there?"

Kevin had a point, if they could get close to Crane, she could finally have her revenge. After all these years, she'd finally be able to get to him, and make him suffer as much as she did.

Ray released his tail from the lamp and spun midair to a perfect landing on his feet. He grabbed his tail and spun it around like a gangster to a pocket watch. "Y'know the ladies right, drugs equal bad, and think about this.' He let go of his tail as he got closer to the dealer. "What happens if the man was lying and killed you with those snipers? Who would be at home taking care of your lil' sis? Not you, because you'd be in the morgue. Find a different line of work. Before you tell me it's 'too difficult' I want you to go to Tony's pIzzeria on fifth, tell him that Johnny sent you and you'd like a job, he'll hook you up"

He looked around at the rooftops, making sure no one was around to listen in on what was going on. "You say there's a gala? I heard about that, Mr. Talbot from the building, the rich guy, he's going, I think it's a benefit for something but I could have misheard." Zodiac gave the dealer a stern look. "Is that all you know? Oh, and let's watch the language around the lady, shall we?"

"Ray, let him continue his work. If we put some extra protection on him, give him some good tech to defend himself if the chance arises, maybe we could use him as a contact for all that criminal underworld stuff. After all, we did save his life." Araya said, standing back up. The sun was already about to rise, so they needed to leave the scene with Kevin, quick. Plus, having a contact like that wouldn't be such a bad idea.

"I'd be down for that. I'll do anything to help, yo." Kevin said, extending his hand for a fist bump, which Araya gladly obliged to.

"I heard about that Gala on the news, it's for cancer research, but I have a feeling it's really all one of Crane's fronts." Araya said, shifting her weight a bit and looking at Ray.

"Everyone downtown is sayin' it's to give money to his private fund, like all the other ones." Kevin replied.

"See, he's proving his worth already!" Araya said with a smile.

Ray gave a large smile to the man before placing a hand around Araya and turning her around for a private chat. "We have a chance to get a guy off the street, a street which, let's be honest, more people are dead on than alive, and you want him to keep dealing drugs? Something which will most likely be his death?" Ray huffed and then started to make his distance from Araya.

"I'm going to....Look, I'm...I'm going to go look for traces of that other van, clearly you've' got things all figured out here..." Ray wasn't much for being rude or condescending but the fact that Araya basically told someone to turn down an offer for a better life just to benefit herself made him feel sick inside. He ran over to a fire escape and then tossed Araya a card before climbing it. The card had his phone number on it. Ray climbed to the top of the building and sat against the door that led into the building. He sighed heavily before listening in on his surroundings.

Did Ray really just do that? This guy could help get tons of valuable information, and he just dismisses him like that? Araya picked up the card and put it in one of her pockets.

"You have a phone, right?" Araya asked.

"Yeah, why?" Kevin said. He held out an old looking flip phone, which Araya y took immediately, after a few moments, she gave it back to him.

"I put my number in there, in case you need me." She said, patting Kevin on the back. "You should go, I'll contact you later." Kevin nodded and began jogging down the street and turning the corner. Now was as good a time as any to talk to Ray. She climbed the fire escape, to find Ray leaning on the door to the building.

"Hey, are you alright?" She asked, kneeling next to him.

"You had no right..." He said softly to her, not looking at her as he spoke. "That man has someone he cares about, and out on the streets keeping an eye out and giving us information all the while dealing drugs? That's going to get him killed, he could turn his life around, I offered him that and you decided that we need information more than we need to save a life?"

Now he was looking at her. "It's not just about you, we can get information in many ways. What are you going to do if we get warning on the police radio of a murder and we go to the scene and that man is lying there dead because he decided to help us try to expose the corrupt? Whatever..." He pulled his legs in and hugged them, it was fairly cold that night.

"We're going to go to that gala, so you better find your best dress. You'll need a total makeover if you don't want people to recognize you so you better work on that, besides, I don't go to gala's with no cheap whores so I hope you clean up nice..." He tried to make a joke to cheer himself up but it didn't help much.

Ray stood and clenched his fists. "Let's forget about it, what's done is done. What next?"

"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." Araya said, crossing her arms. "Would you rather have one person's life changed or thousands. As ****ty as it sounds, Ray, he's disposable. If he needs anything, he has my number."

She put her batons together, collapsed the staff, and put it on her belt. She didn't know whether it was a joke, or if he genuinely thought she was a "cheap whore", but either way she was insulted.
"He already knows who I am Ray, he's probably tracking me even now. Maybe he's even tracking you. Plus, after that scuffle I had today, that Gala would be good press for me. So I won't be going in disguise, and you're coming with me, as a couple."

As the sun rose a bit further, Araya pondered their next move.
"I guess, once it gets later, we go shopping. Until then, we need rest, so let's go to my apartment."

Quote: NightBlade

ooc: Look, Lunarz, Mugo has asked already that we slow down because he DOESN'T have the time on the internet to wade through so much stuff. Just because you can doesn't mean everyone can. Slow down for the sake of those who are in another time line. Ignoring them IS a D move. Mugo not being able to post in character is not. Also, it derails the topic. :/

OOC: Honestly, this time she wasn't doing anything, since her posts had nothing to do with the situation my character was currently in.


"Yeah, Shut-Eye is my nickname," Tori said. "My real name is Tori. Besides reading minds, my Baku form is also a sturdy close-ranged fighter, able to take hits better than I can as a human, plus he can also put others to sleep: and I don't mean with boring stories."

Tori watched Shockwave shoot out a ball of electricity that made him smile. He looked at the other heroes and noticed they seem pretty well rounded too. He looked one more time at Aspen to ask about the powers Aspen had. "So... you can control fire?" he asked. "Is it alright if you showed a demonstration?"

"No...." Ray whispered. "'The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few' What if one of those few was your father? You would have saved him wouldn't you have? Where do you get the right decide who's lives are more important?" Ray stood, his hands at his side clenched in fists of rage. "Disposable? Do you hear yourself? You're no hero, you're just on a vengeance quest, you don't care who gets hurt in your path, do you? It's all one scavenger hunt to you, and if you need to hurt someone you'll do that because it benefits yourself. I learned that if you couldn't do something the way you wanted, you searched for another way, a way where the outcome would be the same but the quest would be harder. Keeping that man on the streets? That is the easy way to accomplish your 'goals' why not try the hard way? The BETTER WAY?!? See you think him being killed doesn't matter, but he has a sister, and her sister may have a mother, that mother may have a friend who is close to the family, right there you've collapsed the lives of several people, not just one."

Ray turned away from Araya. "I'll go to your stupid gala for your stupid revenge venture but we are doing things my way, because without me? You would be in the back of a van taking you somewhere to be tortured and killed. I could've helped multiple people being robbed at gunpoint, stopped muggings, prevented suicides, but I didn't because I went after you. I chose the needs of the few. And if I hadn't, we wouldn't be having this conversation or any conversation ever again...I'm going back to MY apartment, I'll climb through the window or something, you have my number..." And then Ray jumped off the building and was out of sight.

Araya wanted to cry out to Ray, but decided against it. She made a call, one that will eventually save the lives of everyone in this goddamn city. Ray probably just didn't realize it yet.

As she started running, flipping from rooftop to rooftop, she thought about it. Was vengence really the thing that drove her? No, it couldn't be. She wanted to take out Crane for the good of the citizens, so they could be released from his tyranny. The fact that he took out her family was just an afterthought, it wasn't important to her mission. Plus, Ray had no right to bring up her dad. He wasn't there. He didn't know what having your entire family slaughtered before you felt like.

As Araya opened the window and stepped inside her apartment, she realized it. Ray probably was right. But she's already committed to this course of action, until something bad happened, she wasn't about to deviate from it. She changed back into her pajamas one last time, before slipping under the covers and trying to get some rest.

OOC: Please remember everyone that I am the one who determines if it is a new day or not. You can control minor villains if you answer an action prompt or even a side story but PLEASE remember that I'm the one who makes time skips and progresses. I'll let this one slide, but tell me when you want it to become a new day and I will gladly make it. Thank you

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

The dawn of the new day has started. Recently, an elderly man of importance having a heart attack out in Market Square. There was a bomb threat by the Central Trade Peir south of Rowland, with the bomb squad moving in. There is a warehouse fire with workers trapped inside over at Downtown, and a tiger is moving around Rowland having escaped from the zoo.

Araya woke up to her blaring TV, already saying stuff about a tiger and some building and maybe a old man on fire? She was sure she heard that wrong, and whatever was on fire, the firemen could handle it. She took a quick shower and slipped on her costume. Today was a new day, maybe things wouldn't go as horribly as they did yesterday. Besides, she didn't really plan on being kidnapped then saved by her weird shapeshifting psudo-boyfriend anytime soon.

Araya hopped out the window and vaulted up the roof. Once she got to the top and started running, she extended her staff, she'd need the length for stopping the tiger. From what she remembered on the news report, the zoo was around 9th and Broadway.

When she arrived, people were running and screaming from the roaring beast. It was clearly pissed about something.
"Maybe you're like one of those internet cats." Araya said, softly as she approached the tiger. "You can haz cheezburger?"
The tiger let out a mighty roar.

"Guess not." Araya said as she lit up her staff with a taser charge. That rechargeable battery pack was a goddamn miracle.

Modify had already appeared at the tiger situation. They were disguised as a female zoo keeper, trying to tame the large cat of death. "Come on kitty! Here kitty! Please eat the steak, it's good for you. Humans taste really gross and I think-"

Suddenly the tiger lashes out, knocking Modify to the ground. The large cat started prowling towards them, baring teeth and growling.

Araya had to take a second to think. This zookeeper was being attacked, and all she had was an electrified staff. How would the ASPCA handle this? As the tiger roared and readied itself to pounce, Araya brought down the staff on the tiger's hind leg, shocking it a bit. The tiger snarled in a combination of pain and rage. She didn't want to hurt it, but she had to put it to sleep somehow. If only that weird monster thing was here to put it to sleep.

The tiger lunged at Araya, who only dodged its sharp claws by a matter of inches. It came back around and lunged again, but this time she stuck the pole up near the tiger's belly, delivering another shock. The tiger fell to the ground, out cold. Araya took a second to catch her breath before checking the tiger for life. It's heart was still beating and it was still breathing, it should be okay.

She walked over to the terrified looking zookeeper and offered her hand.
"Hey, you alright?"